A Lariat for Bec

I first published my peyote spiral variation in November of 1999. I called it "The Gift" because that's what it has always seemed to me. I don't claim to have invented it, nor do I lay claim to being the first person to have discovered it. I've also never been quite sure if it's a peyote variation or a netting one, but that really doesn't matter. A lot of people look at it and dismiss it as a Russian spiral, so perhaps it's a variation of that. I've done more bracelets than I can count since that first night, a good many necklaces, and somewhere between six and ten lariats using this technique. Those first bracelets were worked in one or two colors of 11/0 seed beads. Since then I've used all sorts of beads in different sizes, often going with a 15/0 seed bead as the "extra" bead. Several of the projects are pictured on the first page of my main site.

The 48" black lariat featured here is much more subtle in reality than it is in the image. I photographed it outside, and the iris beads caught the light which thrust them forward visually. The beads used are an 8/0 opaque black Czech drop bead, an 11/0 black iris seed bead, a 10/0 twisted hex metallic dark blue/black iris, and a Toho 15/0 cut opaque black seed bead as the "extra." The rope is finished with an 8mm Swarovski jet bicone, a versatile bead that begins with ten 11/0 black iris seed beads, two rounds of the 10/0 hex black iris, one round of 8/0 black opaque seed beads, and a center round of Swarovski 4mm jet crystals. Complete the bead by working peyote rounds back down using the beads in the reverse order and finishing the bead with two rounds of 11/0 black iris seed beads. I then threaded on a Swarovski 4mm bicone and a 2mm round, skipped the round and went back through all the beads, finishing off the thread in the first few rows of the spiral with overhand knots before cutting off the needle, knotting and then burning the two thread ends.

My favorite way to wear the lariat is to fold it in half, place it around my neck, and bring the two ends through the loop formed at the fold. I usually have the two ends fall down the middle, but sometimes I turn it half way up the front so the ends fall either to the left or right. Or, it may be worn so the beads fall down the back.

Place the center of the necklace at the front of the neck, bring the ends to the back of the neck and cross the strands before bringing them back to the front. Loop the two ends over each other.

Place the center of the lariat around the back of the neck and bring the strands to the front. Take the two ends in one hand and form a loop with the doubled strands over the first two fingers on the other hand about 6" up from the end. Bring the two ends through the loop and tug on the ends to form the knot. (If desired, tie a square knot where desired using the two ends.)

Finally depending on the size of your write, you may wear the lariat as a bracelet by folding the lariat in half and winding it around your wrist and bringing the ends through the loop to close.

The Rest of the Black Necklace

There are two more beads in the black necklace that I've yet to cover. This one is the same as the one in the bracelet, except it is made larger by building the netting on a basic bead with more rows than are in the bracelet bead. Since there are more rows, you will need more 15/0s before you put on the Fire Polish (FP) beads, in this case there are five 15/0s on either side of the FP. It's that easy, and you can build beads that graduate in length by simply making each basic bead, one, two, or three rounds longer.



Materials Needed
Sixteen #11 Delicas
Twenty-eight #10 Delicas
Twenty-four 10/0 Twisted Hex
Eighty 15/0 Seed Beads
Sixteen 3mm FP
Four 11/0 Seed Beads
WildFire or 6lb FireLine (48")
Needle

Make a basic bead that is four beads around, alternating seven rounds of #10 Delicas with six rounds of 10/0 Twisted Hex beads. The embellishment element consists of five 15/0 seed beads, one 3mm FP, one 11/0 seed bead, one 3mm FP, ending with five 15/0 seed beads.



This other bead is a variation of what I have always called a "versatile" bead. I've had various instructions for it up on my main site (the link's at the bottom of the home page)for several years. It's been pointed out to me that the tutorial up there is way too confusing for some because I spend a lot of time describing the way I turn my hands and how I tighten the threads. If you're interested, you can click here and take a look. I did this because often when I've taught this bead, students beads are floppy and don't hold their shape. One reason is because some people are constitutionally incapable of working with doubled thread. I have a very close friend who suffers from this affliction. If that's true for you, then I suggest two things, one you use a fat thread--10 or 12 lb. Fireline and you work through all the beads twice, pulling very tight after each bead. Setting each bead before putting on the next is also something I do to firm up the new versatile bead. But, it's up to you to work however you choose, with your own technique. There's nothing magical about mine; it's just something that has worked for me for a long time.

The versatile bead is simply a bead made of tubular peyote, beginning as I always do by putting on twice the number of beads in the rounds, taking the needle around and going through every other bead except for the last two, which I also go through before pulling into a tight circle. I make it round by increasing the size of the beads until I get to the largest bead which is the center row and then I start back down or reverse the size of the beads, ending with two rows of 11/0 delicas.


Materials Needed for One Bead
Twenty #11 Delica
Twenty #10 Delica
Ten 8/0 Seed Beads
Five 3mm Fire Polish (FP)
WildFire or 6lb FireLine
Needle

Cut a 30-35" length of Wildfire and work with thread doubled. Begin with ten #11 Delica beads and take the needle through every other one. Work two rows of peyote with #10 Delicas (Substitute with 11/0 seed beads if desired, stepping up at the end of each round. First round of #10 Delicas (row three) is shown in photo. The bead will start to form with the second round of #10s.

Continuing in peyote, work one round of 8/0 seed beads, one round of 3mm FP, and one round of 8/0 seed beads, stepping up at the end of each round. Hold the bead firmly as it forms between your thumb and forefinger.








Add the last two rows of #10 Delicas and finish with two rows of #11 Delicas. Take the needle through the last row of #11s and pull tight. Cut the thread below the needle and tie the ends with a surgeon's or square knot. Clip the thread about 1/16" from the beads. I burn the ends with a thread burner or the flame of a match or cigarette lighter.

The bracelet at the top is made the same as the one in the last post. I used 5mm sterling beads between the beaded beads, finishing with smaller sterling beads, a tornado crimp, and a sterling toggle.

Bracelet Base

I have more flowers to share with you, but I wanted to pause and add the tutorial for the base I use when making bracelets using these beaded flowers. There's one bracelet pictured in the header of this blog, another in this post, and one in yesterday's post. All of these bracelets are built on a 3-bead peyote base made of either 8/0 or 6/0 seeds, 3 or 4mm cubes, Miyuki 8/0 plain or hex seeds, 8/0 or 5/0 Miyuki triangles. The one thing I want is a large-holed bead because I will be adding all of the embellishments through the center beads. I also like this technique because it has a nice working rhythm that yields a flexible, sturdy and smooth band. Here's one of my bracelets using "loopy" flowers and sunstone chips, one of my "Chips Ahoy" collection of necklaces and bracelets.



I first found this 3-bead technique in a special Interweave publication, Jean Campbell's "Beaded Cords, Chains, Straps and Fringe," and I've used it ever since.

I work with nine to ten feet of thread doubled to four and a half to five feet, so I don't have to add a new thread. And, yes, it can be aggravating in the first few rows, but I deal with it.

The beginning:

String four beads and move them to about 6" from the end of the thread.










Bring the needle through the first two beads on the thread as shown. Pull the thread until the last bead added (#4) is sitting on top of bead #3.










(I flip the beads in my hand after each step so that I'm always moving the needle from right to left. There's no real reason for this except that I can work faster this way.) Pick up a bead and take the needle through the center bead and the #3 bead below the bead on the left. Pull the thread to bring the needles into position. You'll note that there's now a space in the middle.


Take your needle through the first bead in the row, add a bead, and take the needle through the last bead in the row. Now you're ready to weave the band.



The Rest of the Story:

I think of the three steps as Straight, Down, and Across. (Remember that I flip the strip with my left thumb as I pick up the next bead with my right, so I'm always moving my needle from right to left. It's all part of the rhythm.)








I continue with Straight, Down and Across until the base is the desired length without the clasp.

In the Beginning

I've written several times in previous blogs and also on my main site about the way I execute the first two rows of my beaded beads and also my beaded flowers. I'm going to begin a series of instructions for the various flowers on this blog that I use in my bracelets, and rather than explain each time about the start, I decided to devote today's blog to this technique so I can refer back to it.



String on twice the number of beads that you want in the circle, thus a 5-bead circle will require 10 beads--a two-row beginning to a peyote tube or a peyote round. Push the beads down to within 3" or 4" from the end. Lay the beads across your forefinger, bring the needle around and take the needle through the first bead you strung on and then through every other bead until you reach the last two beads. Take the needle through these beads which creates the step up to place the needle in position for the next row of beads.

Some people lay the beads on the matte, holding the thread as shown, and then taking the needle through every other bead, again going through the last two beads before pulling the beads into a circle.






I find it easier to pull the beads into a circle if I insert my forefinger into the circle and tug the thread below the needle. I also place the end of the thread in the palm of my hand to hold it securely. When you are pulling the beads into a circle, sometimes you will need to nudge one of the beads on the outer circle as shown here.


















I often make this beginning circle from two different size beads or two different colors. The trick here is to remember that whatever bead you place first on the needle will be the bead in the inner circle. This is important if you are using a smaller bead in the inner circle to make a smaller hole on the beaded beads.